The moment the Herta puppets' cheers rang out, Fu Xuan—still seated at the Star-Gazing Terrace, sipping her Immortal's Delight—froze. Her mind went completely blank.
Lingsha disappears for one day, and she's the new Luofu General?!
Impossible. Absolutely not a single possibility.
Even so, she would never approve. Never.
She clenched her sleeves, gritting her teeth. The fury in her eyes could not be hidden, even behind reddened rims. Over two hundred times she had asked Jing Yuan to hand over the Lightning Lord, to retire and make way for the worthy. And what happened?
Someone who had only just returned—Lingsha.
"I am the next Luofu General!! You're all spouting nonsense!!"
"The next General is me—Fu Xuan!!"
Her voice was a single drop in an ocean of millions of puppets cheering. Tiny. Insignificant.
Thud.
She fainted from sheer rage. Even in her dreams, she kept muttering.
"I am the General... the Lightning Lord... my Lightning Lord."
Qingque caught her, completely unprepared for this turn of events. "Sigh. The Grand Diviner has wanted to inherit the Lightning Lord and become the next Luofu General for who knows how many years. How did Lingsha suddenly become the new General? We'll have to ask Madam Herta about this."
At the same moment, Lingsha—still confronting Herta—heard all the puppets cheering her as the new General. Her eyes filled with boundless joy, anticipation, and even shock.
She could already see it: Ruan Mei supporting her, and Herta drowning in endless regret.
"I've made it! I've made it! I am the new Luofu General!"
"Master, can you see me? I'm sending someone to bring you back right away."
Then she turned to Ruan Mei. "Madam Ruan Mei, I will reserve a place for you. Please come to my side."
Ruan Mei did not answer immediately. She looked at Herta.
Herta's face held none of her usual pride or arrogant disdain. Only a calm before a storm. Her gaze was fixed on Lingsha, reflecting her image.
When Ruan Mei did not respond, Lingsha spoke again. "Madam Ruan Mei, I don't have Herta's terrible personality. I can see things from your perspective. I have empathy and compassion. I will never mistreat you. I will never let you suffer any injustice."
Still, Ruan Mei said nothing. She just watched Herta.
Ignored again, Lingsha waved her hand. A crowd of Herta puppets began walking toward Ruan Mei.
"Madam Ruan Mei, please come to Lingruan City and wait a moment. I will go inherit the Lightning Lord."
Ruan Mei sighed softly. Her gaze toward Lingsha held a hint of pity, of helplessness.
"Lingsha, stop while you can. One more step, and you'll fall into an abyss from which there is no return."
Lingsha froze. Her eyes shifted back to Herta.
Calm. Nothing but calm.
Normally, Herta would have already pulled out her magic key or looked utterly outraged—the kind of woman who kicks people when they're down.
Their eyes met. Lingsha felt an unprecedented despair.
She instinctively stepped back. But dozens of Herta puppets moved forward.
"Lord Lingsha, we support you."
"Yes. A just cause finds many supporters. You are so gentle, courteous, humble, and frugal. The Xianzhou people will stand with you too."
"Madam Herta's personality is terrible. She doesn't treat us like people."
One Herta puppet scratched its head. "But we're not people."
Cold stares shot toward it.
"Hey, isn't that Herta #11? Usually sticks close to Herta #33 and Herta #22. They're close."
"I remember now. On Herta Ninety-Nine's side, those two refused to surrender."
"Looks like we'll have to persuade them with reason."
Every puppet raised their magic hammers and advanced on Herta #11.
Herta #11 panicked and shot Lingsha a desperate look.
"Herta #11 is a heretic to Lingruan City. Anyone close to that one will be severely punished."
Herta #11 quickly explained. "Lord Lingsha, I'm dissatisfied with Madam Herta too! That's why I'm on your side! If you treat me like this, won't you chill the hearts of me and others like me?!"
Lingsha dismissed it with a wave. "How dare you! Do you presume to teach me how to rule?!"
"Someone, persuade this one. With reason."
She wasn't just hitting Herta #11. She was hitting Herta's face. In public.
What gave her the nerve?
She was already the new Luofu General. Once she inherited the Lightning Lord, she would be an Emanator, equal to Herta. And this was the Luofu. Herta wouldn't dare go too far.
Before, when Herta came after her, she could only mutter and never speak up. Now things were different.
She was gambling that Herta wouldn't strike. That once she received the Lightning Lord, Ruan Mei would come back to her, and Herta would be crushed.
Then—[Mirrors] appeared in the sky. Lingsha and the millions of puppets looked up in terror.
The Path power radiating from those mirrors—each one could extinguish stars.
"You... you would dare attack me here?! On the Xianzhou?!"
Herta smiled casually. "I'll give you time. Inherit the Lightning Lord first. Then I'll act."
With a wave, she teleported the entire Divine Foresight before them.
Jing Yuan, who had been pretending to sleep, was forcibly brought forth by a terrifying Path power.
"Go ahead. Have Jing Yuan hand over the Lightning Lord."
With another thought, Herta froze every puppet—even Herta #3156—in place.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed.
[Warning. Disrespect toward Madam Herta detected. System formatting initiated.]
[Final warning. Betrayal of Madam Herta detected. System annihilation protocol activated.]
Herta #3156 realized what was happening, deep in her subconscious. But it was too late. Regret flooded her.
This time, Madam Herta was truly angry. She had thought Herta would be lenient, like last time in Ruan Mei's lab—at most a reset.
But this outcome?
It's over. Everything is over.